Before the Nightmare
by Hope n' Faith
Summary: The reason why he was still lingering in this world. - slight SaiSaku, AU, prologue to 'Gorgeous Nightmare' by Thirrin73. I have had her permission to do this. Sai's past.


**Gift fic for Thirrin73. Inspiration: **_Gorgeous Nightmare _**by **_Thirrin73_ **and three songs, **_Koe _**- Tsukiko Amano, **_Chou _**- Tsukiko Amano and **_Taishou A _**- An Nina, a few pictures of Sakura to get my head back to its business. :d**

**This is the second version of the prologue to Thirrin's** _Gorgeous Nightmare_**, the first one, I'm still struggling to get it done...**

**Disclaimer: I own…**_**absolutely NOTHING! NOTHING PEOPLE! **_**Do we really need the disclaiming part? Because it makes us fans heartbroken sometimes…But I do respect Kishimoto…XP**

**Enjoy!**

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><p>A rosy-haired girl stared in awe at the large, abandoned building in front of her as she stands outside of the gate. She coughed lightly, clutching the blanket that was draped over her tiny shoulders. The thin girl's long hair somewhat keeping her warm a little from the cold wind at midnight.<p>

The little girl crawled through a rather large hole that was on the old, rusted gate. She smiled back at her completion, before running toward the main door of the building – a disused hotel, named _Kyoko_.

Pushing the door opened slowly, she then took a hesitant step into the lobby of the hotel. Nothing happened. She sighed and continued walking in with slightly shy steps. She felt warmer in here, not like standing, with her _legs bare_, outside in the middle of the night.

She had crept out of her house by the window of her large room, after making sure that everyone else in her house was in their deep slumbers.

This was the first time she's ever break a rule. At home-_mansion_, she was a good little girl, always behaves the right way and listens to the adults.

And now, she was here, escaping from her home secretly when her bedtime has already _passed._

She giggled softly into her palm, the other hand tracing her slender, pale fingers along the edge of the dusty old-looking yet elegant table. The girl smiled and sat down on a crimson, leather couch, which she has already dusted before placing herself down. She sighed in delight. For a couch that was not used for so long, it was so soft… so comfortable.

In her little pleasure, the rosette felt her eyelids turned heavy, and heavier, heavier. Her whole body slumped down to the surface of the couch, with a long breath, she fell asleep.

One short nap didn't really hurt anybody right, she thought to herself, her sleepy mind thinking nothing about what will happen to her.

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><p>"-ey."<p>

"Oi."

"Wake up…ugly."

Her emerald eyes slowly opened, a grumble escaped her throat as tried to clear the dizziness away from her mind. Then she realized that she was sleeping in a very different material, it's not clean as her bed, not having the fresh scent like she always smells whenever she wakes up in the morning.

Her figure tensed and she sat up quickly, a squeak following after. She swiped away an arm, and that just freaked her out more. She screamed.

The person she has yet to know, or even catching a glimpse at his or her face, covered her mouth with their hand. Just looking at the large palm upon her lips was enough for her to know that it was a man, or boy.

"You are too loud you know that, ugly?" the male asked, his voice lacks of emotion whatsoever. She glared weakly up at him, eyes still sour from her short sleep. That was when she saw his face.

The boy was as pale as a paper, or more than a paper, a few shades lighter. Compare to him, her sickly white skin was a healthy one. His eyes were the color of raven, like blank ink. He looked down at her with such empty eyes, but they twinkled in a slight amusement with his eyebrow rose. His hair matched the color of his eyes, also black, but darker just a little bit. He was tall and lean, seemingly older than her. . .

But…all in all, he was handsome.

He finally released her mouth, and she immediately wiped her lips with her arm, keeping her glaring eyes on him. The rosette let out a yawn, stretching like a cat before standing up, coughing.

"M-May I ask, w-who are you?" she stuttered in a tired, small voice. She flushed at the raucous voice that came out, earning a chuckle from the strange boy.

"I can ask the same to you," he said, smiling, which she realized that it was a fake one, "But well, my name is Sai…now can you give me your name please?" he said, tilting his head to the side slightly.

She frowned, wary of the male known as Sai, no last name… "C-Cherry…you can call me Cherry." She answered back, giving out her fake name, since she wasn't sure if he was using his real name either.

Sai gave her a disbelief look, which made her squirm under his stare, she felt a little…_embarrassing _to do that, who in the world… And at last, he let out a small chortle, "You are truly amusing…_Cherry_ – as you insisted."

The rosette sighed, "So…what…are you doing…here?" she asked, giving him a rose eyebrow.

Sai stared at her once more, "Well…this was actually my property...or rather, my family's." he mumbled, his eyes never once left hers.

The small girl gaped, "W-What…?" she just…she just intruded into one's house…this is not going to turn out good when her parents hear about this…

Sai blinked, "Cue the _was_." he quickly added. The young girl visibly relaxed, her petrified eyes softening, but afterward turns into a questioning stare.

"Why…_was?"_ she asked, tripping over words.

The raven-haired male gave her another fake smile, "Simple, because we didn't own this anymore," he paused, "My family sold this place when I was younger, due to our need of money that time, and the new owner turned it into a…hotel, as you see," he said, looking up at the ceiling as he mused. Just about that time, the pink-haired girl noticed the glass chandelier on the ceiling, shining even in the dark, "But here…it held many memories of mine, so I occasionally comes here…even after it was abandoned." He looked back at her, some – _miniscule_, emotions in his eyes, "So literally, you came here just the day that I decided to come." The emotions faded away instantly, replacing with a smile. And as always, it was fake.

_Cherry_ sighed, "Since you have given me so much information…" she bowed slightly, "I apologize for coming here. I didn't know it was yours –_ really ._ My…home is not even near." She looked away, pouting. Again, feeling uncomfortable under his unblinking look, directly at her, "Actually, I sneaked out just a few hours ago…I think." She didn't really know how long she has slept, but shrugged it off, "I will come home…right now…"

The rosette turned to the direction of the door, but something caught her elbow, someone…

She scowled, "Sai-san?"

Sai's eyes were closed as he threw her the oh-so-infamous fake smile of his, "Just stay here a few more moments and have a cup of tea little Cherry. I am rather…interested in you," he really wanted to laugh genuinely at her red face as he said so, if he actually knows how, "Come on, go and sit. I will go to the kitchen and prepare the drinks. Yes, this house is still functioning like a normal one, with water, electric and all." With that, he disappeared into the kitchen, leaving a dumb-struck pink-haired young girl behind as he chuckled on his way.

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><p>Sai was a nice man, no, boy. The rosy-haired girl has come to know him quite well, and actually <em>likes<em> to talk to him; she was surprised when he told her that he was fifteen, which means that he was only one year older than her. They started to come to the hotel more frequently, and no, they came just to talk more to the other person, nothing asides from that occurs to the two – Sai even gave her a tour around the hotel, the room that she likes best was the ballroom, where Sai teaches her how to dance. She also knew, it was a shocking fact, that he was one of the geniuses in Japan, he has already skipped two years of school, and was now studying his twelfth grade.

Wow.

And in the end, they decided that this way of meeting was too troublesome and…well…nerve wracking, hiding from her family and all, and the morning would destroy their conversations, since it was the time for her to come home…Sai and her came to one decision, they will meet as much as possible, even in the morning.

None of them showed each other to their families; it was not really necessary, and they like their (_**friend**_-ly) relationship was kept a secret like this, less trouble for both of them.

Going with Sai, she _finally_ realized that she was _not _the only one that thinks- thought Sai was…well, handsome in a polite way, 'hot' and 'sexy' in a rather rude and unladylike way. Women, in every kind of age, would give Sai second glances as he and she walked passed them. Sometimes, she even gets a few glares, just because she was walking next to the guy.

That was not very pleasant…_at all._

She once asked Sai about how he dealt with all of the women thingy, he shrugged and simply replied, "Ignoring them was quite easy."

The rosette wondered why he didn't do just like that to her, and if he does so, what will it feel like?

She frowned at the thought. Again, _not pleasant_.

Sai also found out her biggest secret, which she didn't want to show at all.

Her illness.

She hasn't mentioned it. But her sickly thin figure and pale skin gave it away, plus that one time she suddenly coughed out blood into her palm and nearly collapsed right beside Sai just helped revealing the secret out more. He asked what the he** happened to her. She lied.

He didn't believe it, saying that she was a very bad liar. So she has to spill everything, her illness, and its incurable-ness. Fear rushed through her whole body, her heart clenched, as well as her eyes after she has done talking everything out, she afraid that he would leave her, like her old friends did after she did so.

But he took it so well, she cried. He hugged her much smaller form and told that her that she could let her sorrow out.

He's there for her.

Even when she was crying, butterflies exploded in her stomache. She…finally had a true friend.

He later became her shoulders to cry on, her daily diary – as she teased him, her dummy to let out all of her frustration, her treat to snacks and sometimes meals (when she forced him to), her-

The rest was a little cruel. But to Sai, she would be the _only_ one he will ever smile genuinely to.

And she found it dazzler than his fake smiles or smirks, the rosette told him.

Days went on, her mom becoming more and more suspicious. The girl finally gave in and told her about him, but not allowing her to meet the teenage boy face to face; she knew that her mother was a very gentle, cool, calm and collected, smart woman, always judging people right, she made sure that the older woman got the reason why she didn't want her to meet up with Sai. But what shocked her was that after catching a glimpse at his face, and heard his name, her mother instantly doubled over, holding her stomach and laughed out loud, saying between laughters that if it was him, then it was no trouble.

Then she left, still trying to control her outburst, leaving the smaller girl to stand there, confusion all over her head as she gaped openly.

…But then on one rainy day, her path-of-life twisted, sprinting downward in an incredible speed.

The day she missed her meeting with Sai, the day she knew that her life is going to its end later or sooner, but the latter was clearer than the first one...

The day she decided to meet Sai one more time, her last…last time with him…at the very place they first met.

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><p>The rosy-haired panted right after she reached the main door of the hotel and pushed it open. She was…weaker than normal. She was just repeating the walk to the old building and she was now panting like this.<p>

She wanted to cry, but wipe away the tears just when they were threatening to come out. She walked to the familiar couch and slumped down, sinking in her thick, dark red jacket as she tried to hide from the cold, which was colder than usual. She curled up into a ball on the leather couch, closing her eyes as she did so, her mind was hazy, she didn't even notice that someone was approaching her, until a warm hand touch hand touched her cheek, she jolted.

Sai gazed at her with eyes shimmering with worried, just a little, but she saw it nonetheless. He opened his pale lips to say something, but that was cut off when the little girl jumped on him, encircled his neck with her arms and cried silently, tears bursting out. The pale boy didn't know anything else to do, so he did what he usually does to deal with the crying pinkette. He hugged her back tenderly.

They stayed like that for a long moment. Times seemed to have frozen around them. Finally, the weeping girl released Sai and continued to sit on his laps, small sobs still coming out; she felt like a third grader for him, because her height literally screams so.

Sai rested his chin on her head, closing his eyes as he let out a long breath, "…Why did you not come this afternoon?" he questioned, not changing his composure.

The girl sitting on his laps controlled her tears, burying her face into her palms, making them now wet and slightly dirty, "I'm…sorry," she apologized to him first, before opening her swelled emerald eyes. She looked to the floor, feeling herself emotionless after the outburst. Hands clenched on top of her own laps, she whispered, "And the whole reason why I was not at our meeting place was why I'm here…"

Sai lifted his chin off from her head, before pressing his nose into her light pink locks, eyes still shut, "Tell me, I'm here for you." He said soothingly, his velvet tone right beside her ear, but no blush whatsoever came up to the girl's face like usual.

"Sai…" she paused, said male tightened his hold around her, "…my time is almost up…" she told him at last, eyes closing as the droplets of water began to flow out of her eye sockets again.

Sai's eyes instantly opened and grew wider, he didn't utter a word. His heart beats faster and faster until it was close to explosion. He swallowed down the lump in his throat, a deep frown appearing on his perfect inky brows, "Is this a…joke?" he kept his voice emotionless as ever, despite the overwhelmed feelings in his chest, in his head and arms, everywhere. He silently prayed that the girl will grin at him suddenly and answer 'yes' with a cheerful tone. But her silence was enough to answer the question, his nose began to throb involuntarily, "…Ch-Cherry?"

The rosy-haired girl realized, she didn't even give him her real name. She is going to today. With a cheerful forced grin, she turned to her best friend, "Hey Sai," he turned to look at her, "How about this? I'm gonna be a healthier and more energetic girl the next…er, time you see me, 'kay?"

His eyes turned even wider at her words. The pale skin of his best friend tinted with a little pink as she continued to grin widely, "Then you and me will talk more, and next, you will save me from bullies," she giggled at the memory when he came across just when she was bullied by some girls, she would _love_ to see their gaping faces again, "-whether they were males or females. I will continuously get into trouble, and I would _probably_ be irritated by all of your fake smiles." She mused, lost in all of her thoughts about her next life.

Sai watched the pink-haired girl as she rant on and on, forgetting about the cruel reality. He blinked slowly, a tear that he hadn't shed for years, and never thought he would again. Opening his eyes again, he smirked tearily, "Yeah, and you will be just as amusing and annoying as ever."

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><p>They fell asleep on each other, embracing the other's warmth and needing for the touches. Sai wrapped his arms around her torso as she slept, head resting on the crook of his neck. They woke up, she yelped and blushed. He laughed loudly at her as she pounded her fist on his chest.<p>

The sun was still not up yet, but nearly. They talked, enjoying their last conversation as much as they can while Sai got up and made a cup of coffee for him, and a mug of hot milk for her.

The rosette giggled into her jacket's sleeve, before glancing outside the window. She sighed, feeling her stomach burning, "Hey Sai, I'd better be home before my nurse and maids get up," she said, her tone solemn, eyeing the sun in an intense, soft gaze, "…Sai?"

The next second, she was engulfed into a tight embrace, Sai burying his face into her slender, whiter-than-snow neck. She froze, until her shoulder felt a little wet, her eyes softened, "It's alright, Sai. I got your back."

Sai's silent cries didn't last long, when he stood up and offered her a hand, not a trace left that said he has just cried.

"Come on."

She took his hand and pulled herself up with the help of the boy. They turned toward a mirror, looking at it for a while, before she turned back to him with a cheeky grin, "I hope my name will still be Sakura when I meet you next. And my _strange_ pink hair too, so that you can recognize me." She said, giggling and gave him a quick peck on the cheek, before running out of the building.

Sai stood, waiting for the information to sink in, before realization dawned upon him.

"W-Wait, so that means her name is…Sa…Sakura!" he stammered, pointing a finger at where…Sakura had just stood. He blinked a few more times. The raven-haired boy chuckled, it grew into a whole hearted laugh after that.

Like he said, that girl _never_ ceased to amuse him.

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><p>Sakura couldn't feel her body anymore; she couldn't write her letters to Sai, leaving the writing part to her mother. She would says the content out loud, not really minding the secret-ness of letters, since she didn't really have anything to talk about when she was only allowed to stay in the mansion.<p>

Her mother would write her words down, Sakura heard her mother sobbed sometimes, but she could hardly see, to even stands up and goes to comfort the older woman. Every time she closes her eyes to sleep, or even nap, she didn't know if she could wake up again anymore. But she just won't sleep unless she has already finished reading Sai's latest letter.

One day, her mother walked in with a bowl of soup, calling out her daughter's name, noticing that the little girl was sleeping peacefully, a smile on her thin, white lips, hand grasping the piece of white paper - another of Sai's daily letters; comparing to Sakura's skin, the material was a very dark white color. The pretty woman smiled, thinking that her daughter was just sleeping. She put the tray down and shook the girl's shoulders. Receiving no answer, a tiny panic grew in her chest. She touched the smaller girl's cheeks, and all the colors in her face were wiped away from their original places, leaving a colorless face, with widened eyes.

She wept over her daughter by the rosette's bed, kneeling right on her spot.

Sakura had fallen asleep into a deep slumber, and will never, ever wake up again.

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><p><em>(Years passed, and pass, and pass…Sai remembered, he died just three years later after Sakura's death, at the age of eighteen. He didn't really remember why, but his mind flashed at the memories that were drowning him. He clenched his eyes, a deep frown appearing on his face. He still couldn't remember why he has died, but he still has one reason left for why he was still lingering in this world… )<em>

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><p>A tall, dark silhouette glided across the ballroom, tracing his fingers along the pillars in the dim room. He flinched when he heard the sound of the keys hitting with each other.<p>

Someone was here.

He tilted his head to one side, walking soundlessly as he walked on thin air, not the cold marble floor. His body went straight through the door, vanishing, then reappearing again. He stared at the floor beneath him, and the second after, he disappeared.

His destination was the lobby, dark eyes scanned around for a living aura. And stopped at the stairs, the person has gone upstairs using those, not the elevator, smart one. He stalked after the stranger; his presence was as a wind.

He followed, but never once tried to catch up with him/her. Until curiosity overwhelmed him, he smirked, and went into the room that she – it was a female, he noticed the voice, the _very familiar_ voice – hid suddenly, after talking to someone over a phone. He scanned the air, becoming thicker than usual and before. He disguised himself with the air as a young boy, around his physical age, eighteen or so, passed by, looking around. He rose an eyebrow, hide n' seek maybe?

When the human boy has already disappeared, he peeked into the room that the girl was hiding, and saw her curled-up figure near the bed. Coming closer, he could hardly see her face, but she was panicking for sure.

The female stood up without any warning, startling him a little. He stared emotionlessly as she walked toward the door, and opened it, one word passed his mind.

Annoying, just like someone.

The door opened, lights coming into the room, lightening the stranger's face, and his doubt was confirmed.

His lips stretched into a bright, true smile, "I finally found you…Sakura." he whispered, reaching out his hand for her.

She kept her promise, and he kept his. And that was enough for him...

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><p><strong>Phew! Finally! 1.25 am now. And I should probably go to sleep now, tee hee. My mind was so sleepy, I am sure that I have more than a lot grammar mistakes…And I <em>am<em> an angsty writer, deal. With. It.**

**And hey, if you squint, you could notice that I _didn't even mention_ Sakura's name _a single time_ from the beginning of the story to when she told Sai her name. I wanted it to be like that, and have quite a hard time doing so (because I have to check it over and over again), but I succeeded after all...**

**So**** now pardon me, I'm going to bed now. Happy Lunar New Year to all, and Thirrin-chan, too. I know that this fic is nothing compared to your first place prize written by StormDragon666 but hey, at least enjoy it a little. And the fact that I was too tired and excited to even look at it again. XD**

**Toodles everyone. Sweet dreams…wherever you are. Oh! And don't forget to review! Your reviews make my inside warm. X3**

**-Hope**

**P/S: I have a little question...is this story too...dramatic? Is it good _or_ bad?...**

**P/S/S: Hey...what the hell is 'Mary Sue'? **


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